Lost and Found
by Stella KiMara
Summary: Eleven year old Catalina Montez disappears mysteriously after the death of her parents in a house fire the Denver Fire Department says was arson. It's up to Ed Brown and his wife Fran to find Catalina before an old foe from the Brown's San Francisco past finds her first.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 Catalina**

Catalina Montez watched with excitement as the familiar gray Dodge Durango emblazoned with the words _**Denver Police**_ pulled up. Her teacher reminded all her students that this afternoon was the day Chief Brown would be coming to Cesar Chavez to play basketball at the park with some of his officers and any kid who wanted to play. The Denver Chief of Police was not like other policia she knew. _El Jefe_, as the kids called him, Chief Brown, he was different. He was interested in them, their families, how they did in school, and what was going on in their neighborhood. He cared.

Ed Brown got out from the passenger side of the car. From the driver's side, his aide Sergeant Jerry Abbey. Both Ed and Jerry wore Cesar Chavez Eagles T Shirts, dark brown with a gold Eagle with red and green feathers facing out determinedly on the world and blue jeans. They greeted the kids with smiles and high fives. From the back of the Durango, Abbey brought out bags full of balls and books and Denver Police souvenirs. Taking one of the balls out, he called to one of the boys; "Hey Juanito, m'man, think fast". Juanito grabbed the thrown ball and ran for the court, dribbling at full speed, trailed by his friends. Chief Brown and Jerry corralled the stragglers and walked them to the court, Catalina walked behind them. She was tall and gangly for her age but she wasn't good at sports and at eleven years old, she knew she liked books, but there weren't many in her home. She was hoping that _el Jefe_ or Jerry would see her and remember she was the one who liked books and stories. But she doubted it. There were so many schools and she never played ball.

Catalina found a place to sit up in the top of the bleachers above the court where she could watch the boys would play Jerry and the Chief. Soon they were joined by other young officers and all the courts were full of kids playing cops. She liked to watch the game, and cheered good plays. Today she wanted to do something else. Opening her notebook, she began to draw. Her dream was to tell stories and make the pictures that went with them and sell them. A writer is what her teacher called it. Today's story would be one her Navajo grandmother used to tell about Great Coyote and how he, along with First Man and First Woman and the Holy People, created the stars by filling a blanket with rock mica and carefully placed them in the sky. But Great Coyote became impatient; he grabbed the blanket First Woman had so beautifully made and threw all the mica into the sky where they became the stars of the night. Under the pictures, she began to write down the story just as her grandmother had told her many times. She missed her and her stories so much.

She lost herself in what she was doing, forgetting the game and the time. Looking up she saw everyone had left and it had starting to get dark. The streetlights were coming on. Her mother would be worried about her daughter being kidnapped or hurt and her father; Catalina didn't want to think about the anger he would show. She gathered her things and jumped down the balcony steps. As she turned the corner of the bleachers, she ran squarely into something soft and yielding and heard a soft groan as she fell on top of the object. To her horror she saw she'd knocked a woman down in the dirt.

"Lo siento señora." I'm sorry ma'am. "I didn't mean to knock you down."

The woman smiled and got to her feet, dusting off her jeans clad backside as she rose. "No hay problema. Estoy bien chica. Y tu?" The woman assured her it wasn't a problem and that she was ok and wanted to know if she was also ok.

"Si, bien."

"Como te llamas joven?" What do they call you?

"Me llamo Catalina."

"Catalina Montez?" the woman asked. The girl nodded dumbly. How did she know who she was?"

"Ed!" she called. "I've got her. She's fine."

Who was this Ed who wanted to know if she was fine?

"C'mon Catalina. It's time for you to get home. Sus padres están preocupados por ti."

Her parents were worried. How much time had she spent here at the park?

She followed the woman and turning another corner, she realized who wanted to know if she was fine. Still wearing his sweaty dirty Cesar Chavez t shirt, he was her hero, el Jefe.

"Catalina, your folks are pretty worried about you. You ok?"

"I, I was writing Jefe. I forgot the time. And you brought books today. And I didn't get one. My father will be angry with me and I'm going to be punished because I'm late." Her sentences tumbled one over the next.

Ed briefly frowned. His officers in Lincoln Park had dealt with people like Pete Montez before. Montez was like so many in the neighborhood, struggling to make a living, barely making ends meet and more than once drowning his sorrows in the local bar; getting into a fight with the first man that disagreed with him; getting arrested for drunk and disorderly and spending a night in the city jail. He looked at the girl and smiled.

"Well Catalina, would you like a ride home? We'll talk to your dad. I'm sure he won't ground you forever. Your mother must be terribly worried and I know you missed dinner. I'll call them and let them know you're ok. We'll stop and get something to eat, then we'll get you home. Sound good?"

She nodded. Wait until the other kids heard about this. But who was this woman? Another policia? A friend?

Ed Brown anticipated the question. "Catalina Montez, this is my wife, Fran."

Catalina felt her cheeks flush. She'd knocked down the Chief's wife.

Fran smiled at her. "El Jefe no sabe lo que paso'. Es nuestro secreto."

Catalina breathed a sigh of relief. The Chief wouldn't know.

Jerry Abbey had taken the Chief's car back to the station and the only vehicle in the lot was a Ford F-150 truck. Fran tossed her keys to her husband. "You drive Ed. I want to get to know Catalina better, but first I'll call home and let them know she's ok." Fran and Catalina got into the backseat of the truck's cab. Ed slid behind the wheel and started the truck.

Fran pulled her phone out of her pocket and asked for Catalina's number. There was a rapid fire conversation in Spanish. She heard Fran repeatedly say, most likely to her father, "She's fine. She's a child who lost track of the time is all. She doesn't need to be taught a lesson. She's learned one already. She feels badly about being late. "

Catalina heard Fran release a long sigh after she disconnected the call. She knew her father had told her he was her father and would make sure this never happen again and most likely she would get the backside of his hand as well as get grounded. "How come you speak such good Spanish?"

"My mother was Mexican. We spoke it all the time in the house."

"Does the Chief speak Spanish?"

"Enough to get by sometimes." Ed broke in. "When I need an interpreter, I often ask Fran. I trust her."

"Are you a police officer too?"

"Not anymore. I work at the Art Museum. I fix paintings now."

"You're an artist?"

"I paint and I used to sell my work so I guess that makes me an artist."

The truck stopped. "Who's hungry?" The Chief asked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 Calm before the Storm?**

Ed Brown turned into a Sonic Drive In. They were found all over Denver. Catalina had heard of them, but never stopped at one. She qualified for free breakfast and lunch at school. There was no money for luxuries like fast food for her family.

Dinner's on us Catalina." Brown said pleasantly. "Order whatever you usually get here or anything you'd like".

She pressed her face against the Ford's side window looking at the large colorful menu display. There were too many choices. She turned to Fran. "I, I've never been here before. I don't know what I want. There's too many choices and they all look so good. What do you eat?" she asked somewhat panicked.

"Well, if you order like _el Jefe_ here, you could get a double cheeseburger, large fries, a large vanilla milkshake, and coffee tonight." Fran replied laughing. "He gets to eat that way today only because he played ball and you kids worked him out hard."

Catalina looked at Fran. Señora Brown, as she thought of her, was slim and even though she wore jeans, a long sleeved t shirt, flannel shirt, and boots, looked very stylish. Catalina had never seen a more beautiful woman and she wondered what she would order at a drive in. "And you?"

"I would order a chicken sandwich, a salad, and ice tea. But you niña, are still growing. And you should enjoy your dinner, especially because is the Chief's buying."

Catalina finally ordered a hamburger combo with a salad and a chocolate milkshake. When their food came, Fran suggested they eat at one of the picnic tables. She ate with enjoyment as did the Brown's. Both Fran and Ed asked questions about her family and school. Catalina answered freely.

"You don't play basketball, do you?" The Chief asked her. "I mean I've never seen you out on the court with us."

She was pleased. El Jefe did pay attention to those kids like her that sat in the bleachers. "No, I don't like the game."

"You were up there in the corner scribbling away. Are you a reporter for the school newspaper?"

"No. I was writing a story my mother's mother told me once."

"About what?" Fran asked.

"About the how Great Coyote made the stars come to the sky."

Fran looked at her. "What clan are you born to?"

The girl looked surprised but answered. "I am born to To'aheedliinii, Water Flow Together Clan. My father is Nakaii, Mexican Clan."

"What Chapter House to you belong to?"

Catalina looked at the Chief's wife in amazement. "Shiprock."

"That's good to know." Fran replied.

"How did you know I'm Navajo?"

"I've been working on a photography exhibit of Navajo Code Talkers for the museum. I've been working on a lot of pictures of the Dinii, who we call the Navajo and the Dinetah, the homeland, what my friends call the Big Rez. I see a resemblance. Would you like to see them sometime?"

"Please," Catalina said, her mouth stuffed with hamburger. "But I thought you just fixed paintings?"

"No, that's my main job, but I help with displays and there were photographs needing to be fixed, so I've been doing that. In my part of the museum, we all help each other out when it's needed."

They talked more about different things and Catalina took time to observe the Brown's. Fran was a few years younger than the Chief, but not only did they appear happily married, they had lots in common and best of all were friends and they were in love. She could tell by the way they looked and talked with each other and touched. That wasn't the case at her house and she knew the reasons why. They made her sad.

Fran took a card out of a small case. She quickly wrote a number on the back of it. "That's my cell number. Have your mother call me when you'd like to come see the display and I'll make arrangements for you to spend a day and see how we do this."

She looked at the front of the card. In engraved letters, it read _DENVER MUSEUM OF ART_ and in smaller letters: _Dr. Maria Francesca Muñoz y Belding Brown, M.F.A., Ph.D; Director of Conservancy Programs_ followed by her office address and phone number. Never had Catalina seen anything so elegant.

"You're a doctor," she breathed.

"Not a medical doctor, but I worked just as hard to get the degree."

"I'll say you did". Ed replied the pride showing in his voice.

"And I couldn't have done it without you big guy," she said playfully.

Ed laughed. "I carried her canvases home from school, every day."

"Call me Fran, ok. All my friends do."

Catalina was soaring, she and the wife of the Chief of Police. They were friends.

"Ok…Fran" she giggled. Shoving the card back in her pocket she got into the truck when they said it was time to go. On the way to her house, she talked endlessly about wanting to be a writer of children's stories and to illustrate them. She felt a kindred nature with her new friend Fran. The truck pulled up in front of her house. Still enveloped in the warmth of the Brown's caring, Catalina got out on her side, forgetting her notebook in the backseat.

As Fran and Ed walked up behind her, Catalina heard them speak another language to each other.

"Es könnte Probleme geben, pass auf!" There could be trouble ahead. Be careful."

"Hoffentlich ändert er seine Meinung". Hopefully I can get him to change his mind." Ed replied.

"I'mma counting on you Big Guy to do just that". Fran said, playfully punching Ed in the arm.

The front door of the Montez house was flung open and the worried form of Mrs. Montez appeared, smothering her daughter in her embrace and pulling her inside. The Brown's followed into the small but immaculate house.

"Mrs. Montez, I'm Ed Brown, Denver Police. This is my wife, Maria Francesca. Your daughter's fine, We just got worried when we saw her up in the bleachers so long. She had dinner and she's got no homework. She just lost track of time is all. So we'll be taking off now."

Catalina caught the cue and scurried back to her bedroom. Peeking out the crack she left in the door to see and hear what was going on. Ed could see her face become worried, fearful. He pressed the issue.

"Where's Catalina's father, ma'am?"

"I'm right here. What's this you tellin me about how I need to deal with my kid Anglo"? He came out of the hall that Catalina had just disappeared down. Pete Montez's voice was loud, angry and slightly slurred.

"Eso es Jefe de Policía Denver Anglo a usted." Ed said. That's Denver Police Chief Anglo to you.

"Tellin' me I can't discipline my kid for disobeyn me?"

"She knows she did wrong and she feels bad about it. Ground her, make her do extra stuff around the house but you don't have to show her your hand's backside. You do and I'll come back.

"You and your puta get outta my house."

Fran saw Ed's body tighten and his eyes squint.

"What did you call my wife?" He said calmly.

"You know what I called her, Mr. Police Chief."

"That's what I thought. Apologize now to her." Ed felt his right hand rollup into a fist. Unconsciously he squared himself.

Pete Montez took a step forward as if to strike Ed, and then caught his wife's eye.

"¿Quieres ir a la cárcel?" She shouted at him. You want to go to jail? "We can't afford your bail if you go." She turned to Ed, forcing her voice to be calmer. "Catalina will be grounded all next week as well as receive extra chores Jefe. It was kind of you and your wife to find Catalina and give her dinner. Please understand it is difficult for us now. Pete is a hardworking man, a good father and husband."

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused." He said to Ed with a hangdog beaten look. "Look, I shoulda been the one to find her, bring her home. That's a father's job."

Ed looked at the man. Poverty and bad choices had worn him down.

Pete Montez turned to face Fran. "There was no call to what I said to you lady. No call at all. I'm sorry."

Fran nodded "Gracias"

He went over to a very used couch and sat down hands in his face. Ed took a card out of his pocket, scribbling a note on the back."Call me at this number tomorrow. I've got a friend in construction. He's looking for guys willing to put in a ten hour day. I'll put in a word for you if you're interested."

Montez took the card. "Thanks. Kinda stunned you'd do that for a guy like me."

"Second chances get earned." Ed said. "Good night Miz Montez, Pete. Adios Cat."

Ed and Fran walked down the steps. "So I can let out that breath now that I took when I thought you were going to hit him to uphold my honor." She said.

"Yeah, it's ok, but I wanted to." Ed put his arm around Fran and thought about his luck in marrying her. He realized that there would be more situations like this as it became better known that the Chief had a wife. Fran could and would take care of her own problems, but she let him solve this one, simply by saying nothing. She'd done that before when they were just partners back in San Francisco. He was a lucky guy. "Let's go home honey. I'm tired. It's been a long day."

"And you need a shower before you put any moves on me mister chief of police. You stink!"

The ranch was quiet when they got home. Patrice had made sure the animals were secure and the light in his mother's bedroom was out. Quietly they entered the house. Ed took his shower and afterwards found his wife already nearly asleep. Getting into bed, he turned and draped his arm over Fran's side. She snuggled closer to him.

"G'night" she mumbled.

"Love you."

She rolled over for a kiss. Then they resettled themselves.

"Thanks for having my back tonight." He said.

"Always will." Fran replied.

Ed fell asleep in Fran's arms. It was a good sleep, free of troublesome dreams until the phone rang. Then the nightmare began.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 Gone Girl Gone**

"Why isn't someone answering the damn phone? What do I have an office staff for? Jerry! Mattie! Someone pick up the phone!"

Ed Brown woke with a jerk. He'd been dreaming, but the phone was ringing. He grabbed it just before it went to message. "Brown".

"Ed, it's Jason Morales, Denver Fire Department. Sorry I woke you, but I need you. I've already called Arson, Homicide, the Medical Examiner, and Crime Scene to get here but I wanted you to know there's been a bad fire and I've got a couple of bodies. Address is 1728 Calle. Cross street is Bunker. Neighbors said they heard gunfire before the house went up in flames."

Damnit. He hated these early morning calls, especially from the new fire chief. Quietly getting up, he grabbed his clothes, dressed and tried not to wake Fran. He went out to the kitchen to make a quick cup of coffee. He found himself greeted by a kiss and a steaming mug of coffee. She was dressed in a San Francisco 49ers jersey she'd gone to bed in the night before. It hung well below her knees. She was making a carafe of coffee in the drip coffee maker.

"I used to get those calls too, remember? I heard the first ring. They never call artists this early in the morning. So I knew it was for you."

Ed nodded as he drank.

"What's happened?" Fran asked.

"Fire, possibly arson with two bodies; the neighbors said there were gunshots before the fire. It's not going to be pretty."

"They never are." Fran found a thermos and poured the pot into it. "Did you call Jerry yet?"

"I'll call him on my way in. I'll take the truck."

"Want company?"

"I would, but no. Can we have lunch later today?"

"Yes, that would be good. My schedule is light; just working on the exhibit. I can meet you somewhere downtown." Fran replied.

Ed kissed her. "I'll call you later, ok?"

"I love you."

"Me too."

"Stay away from balconies, will you?"Fran laughed, but her face was serious. It was her way of asking him to be safe. She said it every time he went out on a call. It was nice to be reminded to take care.

"Definitely."

"I'll be up. Someone's got to help Patrice with the critters. Call me when you can."

Ed took the thermos and Fran soon heard the sound of the truck leaving.

"It's a quarter to three. There's no one in the joint. So set 'em up Joe. One for my baby and one for the road" she sang to herself as she made another pot of coffee. Patrice would be here at five. Not too long from now. It was going to be a long day, she thought.

Ed made good time to the scene. As he pulled up, he realized that the house that was now danger of collapse was the house Catalina Montez lived in. His stomach sank. How could he tell Fran that the young girl they had shared dinner with last night was now dead. He closed his eyes, said a prayer and got out of the truck, where he was met by Fire Chief Morales and his sergeant Jerry Abbey. "What do you know?" Ed asked.

"Two bodies; ME is pretty sure they're adults and thinks that they were shot while sleeping. Neighbors said there's a kid. Don't have him accounted for yet."

"Her. The kid is a girl. Her name is Catalina." Ed corrected the Fire Chief.

"Fill me in on how you know this Ed." Morales asked.

"Jerry and I were playing ball at Cesar Chavez yesterday. Catalina lost track of the time. Fran, my wife, found her in the bleachers. We called the parents, got her some dinner and took her home."

"Neighbors said the dad got into an argument with someone after the kid came home. You know anything about it?"

"He was going to hit the kid and he insulted my wife. I didn't hit him. Fran can vouch for that. I gave him my card and offered to help find him a job. He was going to call me today about some construction work I knew about. If you can find the card, you might see some of the note I scribbled on it."

"Internal Affairs Division is going to be called in, you know that boss," Jerry said quietly.

"Yeah, well Sgt. Abbey, we'll just take it as it comes. Go find the ME and see what he knows."

Jerry found the medical examiner and brought him over to the truck.

"What do I know right now Chief Brown?" Dr. Brinton said. "Two adults were shot at close range, a male and a female. I think I'll probably find powder residue at the temple. I'll know more after the autopsy."

"No third body? No child? "

"No, just the man and the woman. Why?"

"We've just added a missing person case to arson and homicide." Ed said. "Jerry, we need to find Catalina and fast. She may be the only one who knows what happened. I'll be in the office as soon as I can. He took his service revolver out of his holster, butt end first, using his fingertips and put it in a plastic bag he kept in the truck for that purpose. He did the same with his throwdown. "Get these to the lab for a firing test NOW. Tech's should know immediately they haven't been fired. But have them run the damn test. I'd rather clear my guns before I get back to the office. Understood. Do what you have to do to run a lab test now, not later. Pick them up at their house, dress them for work, buy them coffee, breakfast, or donuts, sweep their office for them _after_ they get the test done. Take them out dancing tonight if you have to. Get this done before 8am. And I want you there Sergeant, the entire test. My guns do not leave your sight at any time."

"On it boss". Jerry took the bags got in his car and left.

"Hey McGill!" Ed shouted. "Over here now".

McGill was thin and balding and ran the Crime Scene Unit for the Denver Police like a Drill Sergeant. Ed knew that if anyone could find something, Mc Gill and his team could.

"Whatcha need Ed?"

Brown pulled out one of his cards and one of Fran's. Two things First, last night we were both here. Fran gave one of her cards to Catalina Montez and I gave mine to her father. I'm hoping we can find a fragment of one, the other, or both, I need to know if there's any trace of an eleven year old being here during the fire or escaping.

"Needle in a haystack is what we do best Boss."

"I know that Fred."

McGill trotted off barking orders to his team. They were eager to find any clue that would help find Catalina.

"Thompson." He brayed "Get the uniforms knocking on the doors. Anything strange or unusual happening between 9 pm and the time of hearing the gunshots, I want to know pronto."

"You heard the boss. Baker, Manny, Green, Izzo, get going on the doors. No one leaves this neighborhood until we clear it."

Ed thought of how he would tell Fran. She would be heartbroken.

"We got a photo of the girl Sarge? That would help." One of the uniforms asked.

Then he knew he needed her help. He dialed home. "Morning Ma. Yeah, Fran told you, huh? It's bad. She still there? Thanks".

He looked up at the sky breaking blue waiting for his wife to pick up the phone. Most likely she was in the barn grooming the horses. "Hey Fran, it's me" he sighed "Yes, it's even worse, it's Catalina's house."

He heard the sharp intake of air from the other end. He plunged on. "How soon can you get over here? The uniforms are doing the door to door. The Crime Scene van has a copier. I need a sketch of Cat. You're the only one who could do it and the sketch artist would take forever and we'd have to…."

"What do you mean be quiet and give you the address?" He smiled."1728 Calle. Cross street Bunker. I love you too." Disconnecting he felt the spark of pleasure that he and Fran were working on a case again. She just didn't know it.

Twenty minutes later he heard the familiar sound of Fran's Jeep. "How is it you got here so fast?" he asked.

Fran Brown reached up by the visor and he saw the flash of the light bar and the whoop of a siren. She smiled. "You might need to get somewhere fast in this car sometime and I wouldn't want you to get a ticket."

"Impersonating an officer, Dr. Brown?"

"Yep. I'll take it up with the Chief tonight. Beg for leniency."

They walked over to the crime scene van. "What do you need to get this done?" he asked her.

"How many uniforms do you have knocking?"

"About fifteen or twenty".

She sat on the edge of the van. "I've got one sketch already." Looking into the van she said "Make twenty five copies of this and get it out to the uniforms, will you?" She handed over the sketch to a disembodied voice who took the sketch with a "Yes, ma'am".

Fran took out her sketch book and began penciling. "If she cuts her hair she could look like this, she finished it giving it again to the disembodied voice. The sound of the copier was heard in the background. She finished one last sketch. It was how he remembered Cat last night at the drive in.

"I'm betting she's wearing last night's clothes."

"Probably right." His wife said as she began a third sketch. "I called in to the museum, left a message that I'd been asked to assist with the police department today".

"Henrietta will like that one" Ed smiled. Henrietta was Fran's secretary and loved hearing police gossip.

"Ed, since I went ahead and assigned me to you for the day, I think I'll head towards the school after it opens. She might be around there. She knows me and hopefully trusts me. It saves taking a uniform from this search."

Brown agreed with his wife's logic. She handed over the third sketch as she kissed him goodbye.

"Stay away from the balconies, will you?" He said softly.

"Definitely. And I'm using the Police Department parking permit too." She roared off in the Jeep.

Ed shook his head. If anyone could find Catalina Montez, he was betting it would be Fran. She loved kids and had an affinity for street kids. She'd been one herself after her mother had died. Fran took family losses hard, he knew that she felt that Catalina felt the same. That's why they so quickly bonded. He took a breath, let it out and told McGill he was headed for the office. He'd been away long enough and now he got to deal with the bureaucrats. It was going to be a long, long day.


End file.
